Fever Grab 1st-ever Postseason Victory

WNBA - The Beat

Tamika Catchings scored 29 points and Coquese Washington added 13 as the host Indiana Fever beat the New York Liberty 73-55 on Friday night for the first playoff victory in franchise history.

Game 2 of the best-of-three Eastern Conference semifinal series is Sunday in New York, and Game 3, if necessary, also would be at Madison Square Garden.

The Fever outshot the Liberty, outrebounded them and dominated a team that had been to the playoffs each of the last three years and has made three previous appearances in the WNBA Finals.

Earlier in the day, Catchings was named Rookie of the Year. The Fever's 6-foot-1 forward, who had to watch from the sideline last year while she rehabilitated her injured right knee, earned the rookie honor after finishing the season as the league's only player to lead her team in points, rebounds and assists.

STARZZ TOP COMETS

The Utah Starzz held on for their first WNBA playoff victory, but just barely.

Adrienne Goodson scored 20 points, hitting her first seven shots, and Margo Dydek had 11 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots as host Utah beat Houston 66-59 for a 1-0 lead in the teams' first-round playoff series.

The Starzz were swept by Sacramento in their first playoff trip last year.